Foods to Avoid Part Three!

Sorry for the length between posts, but we're back online with Foods to Avoid Part Three!
Is there one 'food' that could be a suspect in most of the top 5 causes of death in the US?  What if I told you we have been  increasing our consumption yearly from 0 pounds eaten per person/year to 70 pounds eaten per person/year!
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
Don't be fooled by the food giants who are trying to change the name to the less ominous sounding 'corn sugar'.  There's a reason this ingredient is so ubiquitous in our food supply; it's cheap!  Corn is subsidized by the government so even a process as complicated as turning plain or corn into a substance it doesn't naturally contain seems labor intensive, it makes the food industry big bucks
The problem is, it does so at the expense of our health!  HFCS, like all fructose is metabolized in the liver where it is primarily made into blood fat (triglycerides) or stored at fat in the liver.  This is a huge contributor to the condition known as metabolic syndrome.  HCFS creates decreased insulin sensitivity, which can lead to obesity and ultimately diabetes.  Additionally, HCFS inhibits an enzyme called endothelial nitric oxide synthase- you don't need to know that but you do need to know that this inhibition leads to high blood pressure.  So, to summarize, HCFS will make you gain weight, increase blood pressure, increase compounds that lead to heart disease and diabetes. 
What about honey, another fructose-rich sweetener, does it cause the same problems?  At least in rats the answer is no.  When given equal amount of HCFS and NATURAL honey, the HCFS rats cholesterol worsened and they gained weigh.  The honey rats blood profile improved and the rats lost weight.  Surprise, surprise a natural sweetener with it's natural enzymes and nutrients may be healthy while a highly processed, engineered sweetener isn't...
The biggest culprit in hidden HCFS is sweetened drinks, especially soda.  However, read ingredients and keep an eye out for it in any sweet tasting food that comes in a package.  You are probably eating 60-70 pounds of it yearly, after all!